The Introduction
by raggedybluebox
Summary: Dani meets Brittany. Brittany meets Dani.
1. Chapter 1

'Hi, what would you like?' Dani smiled brightly at the blonde-haired girl sitting alone at the table.

The girl was apparently lost in her own world. She was gazing misty-eyed at the menu.

Dani tapped her on the shoulder. 'Hey. Can I get you anything?'

The girl looked up and folded her arms across the table. 'Thanks, but…I don't think I'm allowed to eat on a mission.'

'Mission? What, are you a spy?' Dani laughed. 'What's your mission?'

'I'm here to talk about how you treat your house-elves,' the girl said seriously.

Dani rolled her eyes, still smiling. 'This isn't Harry Potter. We don't have house-elves.'

'Well I think you do. You're menu's huge, there's no way you can cook it all by yourself.'

'I don't cook it. The chefs do,' Dani explained, slightly exasperated.

'I know. Your chefs are all house-elves; I've seen it in the papers. And I also heard on CNN that you don't pay them, and I think that's bullying and America shouldn't tolerate that.'

Dani raised her eyebrows. 'I think you might be on crack, so…I'm gonna go.'

'I'm not cracked. If I was cracked then my body would be made of china or something, and everyone knows that that Chinese people only exist in Alice in Wonderland.'

Dani smirked and then turned serious. 'Look, you're doing a great job of this prank, I appreciate the effort, but I have to work. So can you please just order?'

'Are you going to pay your house-elves equal wages?'

'You're kidding. _No.'_

The girl didn't smile. She picked a suitcase up from her feet. 'I don't want to have to do this, because a lot of people in this world go hungry and I don't want to add to that, but this suitcase is full of clothes and if you don't pay your house-elves, I'm going to set them free.'

Dani burst out laughing. 'I'm sorry…' She laughed harder.

'You should be,' the girl said bluntly. 'This is no laughing matter, Dani,' she said, reading Dani's name tag. 'So where are the kitchens?'

'Okay. Okay, c'mere.' She pulled herself together and rested a hand on the blonde girl's shoulder. 'Let's go to the kitchens. I'll prove to you there are no house-elves, and you can go home, okay?'

'Okay,' the girl said quietly. 'But I still don't believe you.'

'Alright. Come on, Harry Potter.'


	2. Chapter 2

Dani grabbed the girl's hand and half-ran to the kitchen door. Technically she shouldn't be doing this, but if they tried to get her fired, her excuse was that she was dealing with a crazy girl who believed in magic.

'Do you need a password?' The girl asked. She turned back to the door. 'Balderdash. Abracadabra. No, wait, I think I remember… Bananas!' Nothing moved. The girl blinked. 'I think your door's broken. Or deaf. It looks pretty old.'

Giving the blonde girl a withering look, Dani shoved open the door and pulled her inside.

Immediately they were both hit by a flood of noise – clangs and bashing and shouts.

'We're not supposed to be in here if we're not getting food,' Dani warned. 'So are you happy now?' Maybe this wasn't such a great idea. She was very aware that if they got caught, they were dead. 'Hey! Can you go home now?'

The other girl gazed around in apparent wonder. 'Did you give your house-elves steroids? Because they're really, really tall.'

Dani had just about had enough. She rounded on the blonde girl. 'Cut it out. They're _people. _There. Are. No. House-elves. Comprendez? We done? Good, okay, let's go, before they bust our asses-'

'Hey Dani, is that you?'

Dani was almost out of the door. She'd already shoved the blonde girl through it and was so close –

'Dani.'

'Hey Rachel,' Dani called casually, spinning back around.

'Can you help me a second? I can't find the spare bottles of hot sauce for table seven and I need these burgers out to tables five and three respectively.'

'Just a sec Rach, I'm giving someone the "grand tour",' Dani said, rolling her eyes.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 'Oooh, is it a new worker?'

'No. Trust me, this girl shouldn't be working _anywhere. _She's a hazard.'

The girl in question poked her head back through the door and her mouth gaped open. 'Oh my gawd, Dobby you look just like Rachel Berry!'

It took Rachel a second to register, but then her face lit up in shock and delight, and she squealed, almost (to Dani's horror) dropping the plates. _'Brittany?_ What are you _doing_ here? Oh my _god– _Wait, hold the door!'

'Hold up – you know this girl?'

Rachel rushed past Dani and deposited her plates of food to her customers whilst Dani just stared.

'Her?' She asked, astounded. 'You and her are friends?'

Rachel gave Brittany a tight hug. 'How's MIT? You look amazing.'

'She got into _MIT?'_

Dani watched, bewildered and in utter disbelief, as the two of them engaged in ecstatic conversation and the world got madder.

'Brittany and I went to school together!' Rachel gushed. 'She's from Mckinley!'

Dani smiled weakly. 'Cool! Can she maybe take her suitcase and order some food so we can get on with our jobs?'

Rachel frowned. 'Dani, be nice.'

'I am being nice.'

'I'm here about the house-elves,' the girl blurted.

Rachel looked uncertainly over at Dani. Dani lifted her shoulders and eyed Rachel back in an _I-told-you-so_ kind of way.

'Brittany, there aren't any house-elves here,' Rachel said sternly. 'Okay?'

'That's what that Dani girl said, but I swear she's lying.'

'That Dani girl is standing right here,' Dani said back.

The girl called Brittany looked pleadingly at Rachel. 'Rachel, this is unfair. I don't get it. You're a house-elf, why do you work for free?'

'I'm not a house-elf Brittany,' Rachel said calmly. She lifted her eyes. 'Do you believe me?'

'No.'

Rachel decided to let it drop. She took a business card out of her pocket. 'Dani's right, we have to work, but our address is on the card, you cam come over tonight, okay?'

The girl massaged her stomach miserably. 'Okay, but do you have any of that shrinking food here? I ate a big lunch and I don't think that carpet would support my weight. It looks like it's made of plastic. I mean I know that I used to mean to you, but there's no need to make me fly on a tiny flying plastic carpet. Sorry Rachel. It's health and safety.'

'Has MIT taught you anything about sanity?' Dani said under her breath.

'Take a cab and give them the card,' Rachel said, slowly and clearly. 'If you get lost, you've got my number.'

Dani picked up the girl's suitcase and placed it in her arms. 'Don't go throwing clothes all over the chefs, okay?'

'Ladies, let's get to work!' Gunther shouted, making Dani and Rachel jump. Rachel squeezed Brittany's arm and said goodbye, and then she and Dani made their way to the counter alone.

'So you're inviting her for dinner?' Dani asked in an offhand way.

'I think it'd be nice. I can't believe she's in New York!' Rachel turned to her. 'I know she's a bit insane, but she's so sweet.'

'I'll have to take your word for it. Shall I bring some champagne?'

'I think that would be _perfect. _Santana is going to flip!'

Dani focused on rearranging some salt shakers. 'Why, are they friends too?'

Realisation seemed to hit Rachel square in the eyes. Dani stopped touching the salt shakers.

'They were friends, but I don't think they've spoken in a while,' Rachel said quickly. 'They probably won't want to see one another. But maybe you and Santana could go out?'

'What, tonight? Rachel, I'm a struggling musician. That means I'm broke!'

'Be spontaneous!' Rachel suggested, her smile too fake.

Dani folded her arms across her chest. 'Rachel. I love you, but you have to be honest with me. Did Santana and Brittany go out?'

Rachel opened her mouth to try and talk her way around it, but Dani already knew. Deep down she knew.

'Look, I get it. You're trying to hide it, but you're talking to a girl who's been lied to _a lot._' Dani paused. 'So who's Brittany?'

'Look, they - she went out with Santana in high school, but it's over,' Rachel said desperately. 'You know that.'

'But you don't want Santana at this reunion,' Dani shot back. 'Or me.'

'No. Listen, I care about you _and _Santana. And I don't want to put either of you in a position that might be awkward or more than slightly uncomfortable.'

Dani didn't say anything for a moment. Then she leaned back against the counter and nodded.

'I understand. That makes sense.'

Rachel sighed in relief. 'Really? You're okay with this?'

Dani shrugged. 'Sure. I mean, even though it's _over,_ it's not a great situation for anyone. Nobody wants to sit down to dinner with their girlfriend and their ex at the same time. That would be _kinda_ awkward.'

Rachel removed her apron. 'Shall I call Santana?'

Dani shook her head. 'She'll be arriving for her shift any minute now. I'll convince her to stay.'

Rachel gave her a hug. 'I'll see you tomorrow then.'

Dani hugged her back. 'Enjoy your reunion.'

'Enjoy your date,' Rachel smiled.

Dani started clearing up plates as the sunlight started to fade and Rachel crossed the street.


End file.
